Chapter 146: Star, Abroad (3)

Chapter 146: Star, Abroad (3)

Chang-Sun of course had zero intention to accept Joachim’s offer of becoming the Illuminati’s leader, but he could have been intrigued if he was an ordinary person. The Illuminati was one of the biggest Clans in the world, so becoming its leader would give him power incomparable to anything in this world. However, Chang-Sun’s goal was so great that even that position couldn’t intrigue him. Rather, he had to stay in the White Tiger Clan to achieve his goal.

‘They wouldn’t welcome an outsider that dropped from the sky overnight.’

Above all, Chang-Sun could easily tell that he wouldn’t be welcomed even if he joined. Even though a deity had sent a pretty direct oracle, humans had their own rules and order. As far as Chang-Sun knew, the Illuminati didn’t have a leader, but it was ruled by a group called the Senate. Moreover, it was divided into numerous factions with conflicting interests. Could he really solve them??

He could if he had to, but that would mean taking an unnecessary burden. That was why he planned to immediately reject the offer, but he couldn’t help but wonder if the person before him could really make such a huge offer on his own. Although he knew Joachim Wolff was a ‘Duke-Class’ high ranker, Chang-Sun wasn’t certain if he had the power to make important decisions on the Clan’s behalf.?

?

“Can you settle this matter on your own? I haven’t even officially joined the Clan, so the Illuminati members would probably object if you make me the Clan leader,” Chang-Sun shrugged.

When Chang-Sun expressed his concern not too worriedly, Joachim crossed his arms and lightly snorted.?

“The goddess has sent the oracle that I just told you about through ‘Parthenon,’ not to me. No matter what those good-for-nothings say, they can’t desecrate the oracle.” Joachim gently smiled.

“Of course, if they were capable of thinking that far, the current Illuminati wouldn’t have become such a mess... Anyway, the goddess has spoken, so they can’t do much about it.”

Chang-Sun learned two things from the conversation he had with Joachim. One of them was that although the factions could also be divided based on the several divine ranks that Minerva symbolized, the Illuminati was mainly divided into secular and religious factions, and power struggles often occurred among them. The secular faction currently held power within the Illuminati, and Joachim was in the religious faction. The other was that Joachim was quite influential in the Illuminati.?

Joachim wasn’t just Minerva’s devout follower. He was a politician and a reformer, and he was aware of his position and knew how to plan for the Clan’s future. In fact, he visited Chang-Sun as an emissary, which showed he held power within the Clan.

‘This will be a good opportunity.’ Chang-Sun thought he should build a long-term relationship with Joachim instead of ending their meeting by just rejecting his offer. Although he had no intention to take over the Illuminati, there was no harm in forming an alliance with such an influential person.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse.” Chang-Sun shook his head.

“You don’t have to reject it that quickly. Take your time—”?

“I’m very content with my current position. I’ll be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued when I heard the offer, but I don’t want to act foolishly. If I don’t know my place and act too greedy, the greed will get the better of me.”?

“Ah!” Joachim gasped as if he had come to a realization.?

While rejecting Joachim’s offer, Chang-Sun sugarcoated his reasoning to leave a good impression on him. However, Joachim appeared to be more deeply touched than Chang-Sun expected. It was as if he had realized something he wasn’t aware of before and was moved by Chang-Sun’s devout and pure reasons, even though that was far from the truth.

‘Well, I guess there’s no need to correct his misunderstanding. The better he thought of me, the more beneficial for me,’ Chang-Sun thought.

“I also value the goddess’ teachings, so I think it would be better to let our relationship naturally progress instead of forcing it.” Chang-Sun faintly smiled.?

“What are you proposing?” Joachim asked.?

“If the goddess calls me her friend, then I could consider the Illuminati members my friends as well... If so, wouldn’t that make you my friend too, Duke Bluewolf?” Chang-Sun suggested.?

Chang-Sun proposed to establish a strategic alliance between Chang-Sun’s Team L and the Illuminati, not the White Tiger Clan and Illuminati. If he succeeded, the Illuminati would become a very reliable backup for Chang-Sun, who was trying to take over the White Tiger Clan from within. No matter how powerful the White Tiger Clan was, it wasn’t strong enough to completely ignore the Illuminati.

Squeak!

“We’re here,” Yoo-Jun said, having arrived at the Incheon International Airport.

Chang-Sun slowly got out of the limousine. Gyeo-Ul got out a little later since he kept nervously stomping his feet beforehand.

“Oh, right. Gyeo-Ul.” Chang-Sun remembered.

Gyeo-Ul, who was unloading their suitcases from the limousine with Yoo-Jun, turned his head toward Chang-Sun when he called for him. “Yes, hyung!”

“I forgot to tell you something.”

“...?” Gyeo-Ul tilted his head in confusion.

“You have to take your shoes off before you get on the airplane,” Chang-Sun said very nonchalantly.

“... I started to feel strangely dizzy this morning, so I decided to rest,” Geum-Gyu forced a smile.

Chang-Sun patted Geum-Gyu’s shoulders and advised him to take care of himself, then turned to Eun-Seo. “I’m fine. Thank you for worrying about me, but... Why is she not here yet?”

“Ah, Hye-Bin is—!”

“Wait! I’m! I’m... here...! Huff, huff!”

Eun-Seo was about to explain when a petite middle school student quickly came up and joined them, panting. Woo Hye-Bin raised her head and tidied her hair.

“You’re here!” Eun-Seo shouted delightedly and hugged Hye-Bin.

“U-unnie... Wait, aggghhh!” Hye-Bin screamed when Eun-Seo spun around with her.

Carrying Hye-Bin’s suitcase, Woo Yeong-Geun came forward and bowed at Chang-Sun. “Please... keep my Hye-Bin safe.”

Yeong-Geun looked at his niece with worried eyes. Several days ago, Hye-Bin had dropped a bombshell about wanting to join Chang-Sun and the Team L members’ trip to France, making Yeong-Geun’s heart sink. He tried to dissuade Hye-Bin, saying the trip was going to be difficult and it was wrong for her to join rival Clan members’ business trip, but Hye-Bin didn’t back down. As a last resort, Yeong-Geun requested Hye-Bin’s parents to do something about it.

“Europe? It’ll be a bit dangerous, but it’ll be a good learning opportunity. Let her go.” Her parents nodded.?

Yeong-Geun only received an absurd answer instead, though. Hence, Hye-Bin ended up joining Team L as a freelance Player. small and middle-sized understaffed Clans often hired freelance Players to form Raid Teams, and major Clans hired famous Players as freelancers.

Yeong-Geun couldn’t believe that his niece was going to clear a Dungeon with another Clan even though their family’s Clan was powerful in its own right, but he failed to stop his niece from following and learning a lot from Chang-Sun. Hence, he couldn’t help but feel worried.

“Don’t worry. I think dearly of Hye-Bin as if she’s my niece.” Chang-Su faintly smiled, and Yeong-Geun felt relieved for some reason.

[The Celestial ‘Nameless Giant’ shakes her head in disbelief, thinking no one will be a worse fool for their niece than you.]

“Since everyone’s here already, let’s head up,” Chang-Sun instructed.

His team members grabbed their passports and headed to the third-floor departure gate. Their footsteps were heavy yet sounded exciting.

* * *

When Chang-Sun’s group arrived at the platform where they had been told to go, they saw Department Head Shim Geon-Ho already waiting for them. Geon-Ho frowned and glared at Chang-Sun’s group with discontentment. “How come the hoobaes and newbies are the last to arrive?”

“I wonder the same thing, sir.” The man standing beside Geon-Ho, Gang Woo-Chan, nodded in agreement. He didn’t hesitate to reveal his hostility toward Chang-Sun.

While the White Tiger Clan was in ‘Yeti Hill,’ Woo-Chan recklessly picked a fight with Chang-Sun, and he ended up getting beaten up and his arm broken. Prior to the incident, he was quite a popular and skilled Player, enough to earn the title of ‘Storm Fist.’ However, he had hit rock bottom ever since Chang-Sun obliterated him before he could even fight back in front of so many people.

His fellow department members insulted him head-on, calling him an idiot, and the White Tiger Clan’s ordinary employees no longer made way for Woo-Chan when he walked across the company hallways. Rather, they now blatantly looked down on him. He had suffered so much that he even felt as if the taxi driver was smirking at him, making his grudge against Chang-Sun greater.

Woo-Chan had been waiting for a chance to have his revenge on Chang-Sun, which was why when Team L’s trip to France had been confirmed, Woo-Chan volunteered to go with them.

On this business trip, Woo-Chan had to fly to France with Team L and assist the ‘three elders’ who were going to track down the Highoff Clan remnants. Woo-Chan planned to get revenge on Chang-Sun during this business trip using any means necessary. Doing so would get his pride back and show Chang-Sun and the Team L members that he was the superior one.

‘Aside from Department Head Shim, Executive Director Oh and the elders from the Council of Elders are also with us. I let my guard down and humiliated myself before, but I’ll show them that I’m different now.’ Woo-Chan gritted his teeth.

Woo-Chan didn’t forget that Executive Director Oh and the three elders were nearby, watching them.

“We’re the last to arrive?” Chang-Sun tilted his head.

“Yeah! You’re all a bunch of slu—!” Woo-Chan shouted, but Chang-Sun interrupted him.

“I guess you want to be beaten up again, huh?”

1. A former temple of Athena that is located near the Acropolis.

2. This is an old but famous joke in Korea. In the past, Koreans couldn’t easily travel abroad, so they weren’t really used to how airplanes worked. The people who did get to go on airplanes teased the people who didn’t, telling them that they should take their shoes before boarding the plane. It is the most used joke.